Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-04-16
PRAIRIE FIRES.
Immense Loss Of Proper.y ny Prairie Fires
in Dako...
A Number Of Persons Perish in the Fires
Willie Attempting to Save Their
Prop'rty.

IIuRoN, April 9.-Prs'rie fires have done
great damage north AID south Of here. In
Grant township, seven miles south, and along
Cane creek, the damage was greatest. Ed
ward Maloney and his sister Kate lived on Fred
Towr's farm. The fire was three miles distant,
the wind blowing from the southwest thirty
miles an hour. Before he could reach home
the fire was upon him. He told his sister
Kate and Annie Marine, who was stopping
with Kate, to run to the ploughed ground,
Only a few rods away. The ladies Immediately
s. rted for the lid, but the wind carried
u, IN before ii In another direction, aud they
\ re oyertaken ly the tire within two rods 81
fue plowed ground. Mr.. Maloney went to
me barn to turn out the horses. In an in
,taut the house and barn were /" flames.
NtiLhbors, seeing the buildings attire, started
FOR the scene. T. ,e Maloney was found 3 few
rod from home, her clothing nearly burned
of and hair all 4 ne and eyes nearly burned
cut. She was / en- 10 a neighbors. Annie
Marine was fouui a liule further on, the
clothing burned ~pnlirey from her body. She
,ts unable to { pak, and was put In a wagon
and sent TO her ~stuer's, a couple Of miles dis
tuat. She died : lis morning and was buried
from the Catno l.: church this afternoon. Ed
ward Maloney's body was found about forty
t e. from the b. n. He must have died OF
= uTocation. Il r,mains We're sent to Pres.
ton, Mimi, this .fternoon, where his parents
re de. X t. is in a very critical condition
"a 4 canno recover The house, with con.
to- also stable, horses, machinery, etc,
W All destroyed. Loss, probably 900.
! he same heighhorhood Elmer Wilson'S
bar and contents were burned, and VIM.
You ,4's house, barn, cattle sheds and ma.
chin ry all destroyed. 1t is impossible TO as
cert. n loss, hut it will reach several thous
anu ollars with very little insurance.
Besides the damage to the fair grounds OF
SIC ., the nome Of Mr.. Bronson, occupied by
WI. Amundson, two miles north % the city
was burned. The family saved only the
clot, 'ng Ih-y had on. A.. II. Risdon, lost his
houst, worth 500; also o. f. Parker's house.
Loss, $500. Three other houses unoccupied
In the same neighborhood burned. The loss
is probably 81 900.
The last report from Kate Maloney this
morning was that recovery was impossible.
in THE VICINITY OF MITCHELL.
MITCHELL, April g. Details Of the prairie
fires show great damagt in several directions.
Northwes Of Letcher eight farmers were
burned out, suffering losses ranging from
$500 to $1,000, losing buildings, nay, grain,
machinery, and, in two instances, stock, and
a son o. j. +. Dister was fatally burned while
trying 10 save stock.
At2 o'c.ock this morning q farmer named
George T.. Hammer, sixteen miles south OF
here, awoke to find his home in flames. He
and family barely escaped with their lives,
losing cyery thing else. The fire is thought
to be ~iuclrdiary, as there was DO prairie fire
near.
wAKONDA y VICINITY.
WAKoNDA, April 9.-Yesterday at about II
O'Clock a large prairie fire was discovered
coming toward tie tow from the south. A
very high wind was blowing, which carried
the fire At 4 tremendous rate. At the alarm
every body turned out to save the
town and help the neighborhood
farmers. 1t passed cast OF
town about one mile and was kept out only
by timely and hard work. Full particulars
are impossible 70 get at this time, but it is re.
ported that the fire started about seven or
eight miles below here, at Tenants place,
whose house caught fire and burned, setting
the prairie on lire with burning fragments.
Those VINO suffered losses, SO far as known,
are:
John Cronan, large barns, sheds, grain. ma
chinery, some stock, etc. amount OF loss not
known, some insurance. At this place the
lire jumped a piece OF blowing 300 yards wide.
john Slattery, one mite from town, lost all
of his hay, and barely saved his buildings, as
did also Aaron Bobb.
A. s. Havcr lost his barn and granery, 25
bushels OF wheat, 20 bushels OF flax, several
nogs aud calves, and some machinery. Less,
over 5000; 500 insurance.
The wind is yet blowing hard, and people
are watching the little fire that remains. The
old settlers AL agree that IL was the worst fire
they ever had to contend with.
DESTRUCTION IN LAKE COUNTY.
ST.. PAUL, April GA Madison, D. T., ape.
cial TO the Pisneer Press says immense prairie
fires burned over the south half of Lake
last night. Some twenty-five farmers
lost their houses, barns, stock and grain.
France Keller was burned to death between
his burning house and barn. The Madison
fire department was called out to protect the
town from fire coming from the west before 3
wind blowing forty miles al hour.
ABOUT uIGuMORE.
HIGHMoRE, April 9.-An immense prairie
fire, raging about a mile south OF town, driven
by IA strong wind from the soutb, called out
the citizens, 40 strong, yesterday. A IRE
two miles long was made and the town
Is now free from danger. AT s O'Clock the
TEN p~erature was % IN the shade.